Nebraska used to run the option.

Then came the West Coast offense.

What exactly are we supposed to call it under first-year coordinator Shawn Watson?

“The Nebraska offense,” Watson quickly retorted after Friday’s spring practice inside of Memorial Stadium.

Watson was trying to be humorous in his response while also trying to get his point across.

“Everybody, stop trying to name it! Geez … everybody wants to put a name on it around here. It’s the Nebraska offense. How’s that? Sounds good to me.”

He paused and took a breath before finishing his minirant:

“I get asked that all the time. It’s the Nebraska offense.”

Duly noted.

A STEP AHEAD? Watson said it’s not necessarily true that a more-experienced offense has a leg up on what will be a revamped defense this spring.

“They’re doing a great job of teaching what they want done on defense,” Watson said. “They’re excited on that side of the ball. It’s been a test every day. It’s making us better. We haven’t backed off each other one bit.

“It’s all about effort. Our kids on defense are really excited. It’s been really competitive practices.”

Offensively, Watson said coaches are still installing while also trying to hone “the little things.”

“When we tweak what we do, it will be based on our people,” Watson said. “That’s what I believe in. It will be getting those guys touches in creative ways. We’re going to put in our base offense and get everybody honed up on that, and we’ll start moving from there.”

By the numbers: 40, 25

If you weren't yet aware, there will be a rule change in how the play clock is operated this season. It will be like the NFL, in which a 40-second play clock starts right at the end of a play. It will be a 25-second play clock after change of possessions. The previous rule featured a 25-second play clock that did not start until officials marked the ball ready for play. Some coaches have said this rule was needed due to the fact every officiating crew worked at a random speed in how quickly they set the ball after a play.

Scouting report

Mike Smith, sophomore

After playing offensive tackle last season, Smith will try his hand at right guard and center.

“It’s gone well so far,” the sophomore said after Friday's practice. “But just getting used to stuff isn’t very fun. Learning a new position, that’s hard. I’m just trying to learn the plays and learn the technique. I’m working at it.”

He said he thinks the change was made because Nebraska has an ample supply of tackles.

The 6-foot-6, 275-pound Smith, of Las Vegas, arrived on campus as a defensive end before moving to offensive line. He said he was informed of his latest move on Wednesday, the first day of spring drills.

 Scouting report

Iowa State

Sophomores Austen Arnaud and Phillip Bates are competing for the starting quarterback job. They obviously will garner much attention heading into the Cyclones’ spring scrimmage April 19, but several roster spots are due for a makeover before the season opener at home against South Dakota State on Aug. 28, according to the Des Moines Register. For instance, the defensive line will feature two new starters at tackle, with sophomore Bailey Johnson and junior Nate Frere among the early contenders. What’s more, only three returning wide receivers caught more than two passes last season.

— Brian Rosenthal and Steven M. Sipple